Facebook Growth Slower Than Thought, Not "The Next Google"

Henry Blodget
Silicon Alley Insider

Kara Swisher listened in on a Facebook company conference call in which CEO Mark Zuckerberg helpfully provided detailed financial information for the company. The bottom line? Unless Zuckerberg is being intentionally conservative, Facebook's growth is far slower than people thought. It's also nothing like Google's was.

The key data:

Revenue:
2007: $150 million (Same number that was given in August--i.e., no upside)
2008: $300-$350 million, up 100%+

Is a $300-$350 million a lot of revenue for a young company? Sure. But Facebook is often referred to as "The Next Google," so its worth recalling Google's early revenue ramp: